Someday
by EmmerzK
Summary: Young Hiccup meets Astrid for the first time. But will she treat him the same way the other kids do? What's his reaction? Rated K Oneshot


**Holy cow, I got this done in less than an hour! Wahoo! This is in honor of CookiesAreTheKey because I probably wouldn't have decided to write this tonight :) It was an idea floating in my head, but hadn't written it yet. Didn't even take long!**

**Anywho enough of my rambling. Thanks for the support so far guys, you're awesome!**

**Someday**

Little three-year-old Hiccup struggled to keep up with his parents' footsteps as they walked ahead of him through the village. They were heading to the Great Hall for breakfast, as they usually did, but today he was lagging behind, staring at the clouds.

"Hiccup!"

He looked ahead of him at his mother's call, a massive twenty feet away. She smiled at him and held out a hand, "Come along."

He ran to catch up and grabbed her hand, smiling up at her. "What were you doing back there?" she asked him.

"Well…" he began timidly, looking back up at the clouds. "I was looking at the sky."

"Ooo really?" Valhallarama looked up with a look of awe on her face, indulging his curiosity. "Why? What did you see?"

"Just clouds, mom."

"Did you see anything in the clouds?"

"Like a dragon?"

His mother smiled, "Well it seems the dragons don't come out much during the day. They like night time. But did you see a dragon?"

Hiccup shook his head. "No, I think I saw…umm…" His face screwed in concentration as he searched for the word. "Shhhapes? Shapes in the clouds?"

Val tried to keep her chuckles to herself, and asked, "What kind of shapes?" They were nearly to the stairs leading to the Great Hall now.

"Um… umm…" He stopped and looked back up at the sky, his green eyes bright. "That one looks like daddy's ship. And that one looks like a helmet." Val nodded as he pointed at each cloud, smiling at his keen eye. He'd be a great man someday, she just knew it. "And that," he smiled shyly, "Looks like Uncle Gobber's underpants."

Val laughed out loud, but tried to remain composed as Gobber just happened to walk by. "Hello Val, Hiccup. How are ya on this fine mornin'?"

"Fine, Gobber. You?"

"Very well. Thanks."

"Uncle Gobber!" Hiccup pulled at his tunic.

"Yes Hicc-"

"That cloud looks like your underpants!" He interrupted with a grin, pointing out the cloud.

Gobber looked up and tried to wipe the smile off his face, "Oy, you laughin' at me undies?"

Hiccup laughed, but shook his head, "No."

"I think ya are!"

"No!" The three-year-old was still laughing.

"Oh, I'm gonna get you." Gobber lunged for the boy, but Hiccup squealed and ran up the stairs as fast as he could run. "You can run, but ya can't hide!" Val slapped a hand over her mouth at the spectacle of Gobber chasing her little redhead up the stairs.

A few women laughed behind her as they watched. "Hiccup's cute, Valhallarama," One commented.

"Thank you very much."

An elderly lady stood taller than the rest and scowled, "'e's too small. Look at 'im! A future chief 'as gotta be a decent size to strike terror in 'is enemy. 'e won't do that, nahh-"

"I'm appreciative for your opinion ma'am, but I assure you he will do great things. That'll be enough." Valhallarama firmly stated, folding her hands and nodding her head to end the conversation. The elderly woman mumbled under breath but walked on up the stairs. The other women, embarrassed, too kept walking, leaving Val by herself a moment.

She shook her head. Hiccup would do great things. Sure he was small for most Viking children, but he'd grow like everyone else did. He was no different.

**Xxx**

Hiccup was still laughing when he reached the top of the stairs, Gobber hot on his heels. He pushed past a few people, who abruptly stopped in order not to squish the small boy, and tore into the Great Hall looking for one person.

"Dad!" He ran behind his dad's legs and stopped, panting.

"Whoa…" Stoick steadied himself so he wouldn't fall back and squish his only son flat. "What is it, son?"

"Shhh!" Hiccup pushed a finger to his lips and peered around his father's legs. "Gobber's trying to get me!"

As if on cue, Gobber ran into the Hall yelling, "Alright ya little squirt, where'd ya go? Ya can't hide from me! Stoick!"

Gobber ran over and Hiccup squealed, hiding behind his father fully. He was glad he was small—he could hide easier than most.

"Where's yer son? He was done crackin' jokes at me underpants, he was!"

Stoick and many others tried to stifle their chuckles. "Gobber," Valhallarama walked up behind him. "Who doesn't crack jokes at your underpants?" Many surrounding Vikings laughed at her sarcastic comment.

"And anyway, I don't know where he is. He's probably off hiding somewhere. Go look around," Stoick gestured to the Hall.

Gobber raised an eyebrow and submitted, "Alright, but mark me words that boy will get a good ticklin' for criticizin' me undies." He hobbled off in search of Hiccup or food, which was more important to find he wasn't sure.

As soon as he was out of earshot, Val and Stoick burst out laughing. Stoick stepped aside to reveal the grinning Hiccup. "You evaded him this time son, but next time you might not be so lucky."

Hiccup shrugged, "I'll be okay." He looked to the door when more villagers walked in, all talking loudly. Stoick pushed his tiny son to Val, who took him to their table. She served them both and they were soon eating; Stoick joined them with a few fellow tribe leaders a few minutes later.

Hiccup swung his legs back and forth on the bench as he ate his bacon and eggs and looked around the Great Hall. He liked the Great Hall—tons of color and vibrant patterns on the columns, and shields and weaponry on the walls.

He also liked the people—seeing all the differences between everyone, even though they were all part of the same village. It fascinated him. He especially liked looking at people's different hair colors—the graying hair of the old people, the red hair of his parents, the blacker than black hair of his Uncle Spitelout and cousin Snotlout (he gulped at the thought of him), and then the pretty blonde hair of the girl sitting over-

Hiccup dropped his fork and he gaped. Valhalarama looked over with a concerned expression. "Hiccup? Honey, are you okay?"

"Mom…" he whispered and very slowly pointed. "Who… is _that_?"

Val frowned and looked up to where he was pointing and was confused further. "That's the Hofferson family. Which person do you mean?"

"The girl with the two braids…" He whispered as if the little girl three tables away would hear him.

A smile came to Val's lips and she breathed a laugh, "_That_ is Astrid."

Hiccup blinked as he stared, and Val argued with herself on whether to tell Stoick about this precious moment. But she decided against it; surely Stoick wouldn't be the only person to hear her and if this kept up for her little son, she wouldn't want to embarrass him.

Hiccup kept staring—her blonde hair was up in two braids and her bright blue eyes shone. He had met a few girls his age at Elder Gothi's home when his parents had to work, but never had he seen her before.

"Wow…" he whispered. Val stared at him and shook her head; he was only three and already falling for girls. Much like someone else she knew…

"What's going on?" Speak of the devil.

"Well…" Val began, trying to think of a way to inform her husband without embarrassing Hiccup, but-

"We're watching a pretty girl." Hiccup unabashedly spoke.

Stoick nearly choked on his mead, and he stared at his wife. She merely shrugged. A few people stifled chuckles at Hiccup's face as he continued to watch Astrid from afar. Stoick just stared in shock at his son.

"Who's he watching?" A certain Mr. Hofferson asked, as he was one of the tribe council members sitting beside Stoick.

"Her name's-" Hiccup began, but Val quickly covered his mouth.

"Hiccup, why don't you go play with your friends? Looks like they're heading out." She smiled, pointing at the group of kids, Astrid included, getting up and running to the door.

"Mmm…" Hiccup hummed nervously. "Okay."

"That's my boy." She kissed his forehead as he hopped up and ran after the other kids. "Be safe!"

"I will!" Hiccup pumped his little legs as fast as he could to catch up to the pretty girl. What was her name? Oh! Astrid. He hadn't heard that name before.

"Oof!" He breathed as he suddenly hit the ground, staring up at the clouds again. He'd run all the way down the stairs without realizing someone was standing there at the bottom. When someone blocked out his vision, he looked up to see…

Snotlout.

"Hey lil tiny cuz, wanna play with the cool kids?" Snotlout smiled.

Hiccup sat up excitedly. "Okay!"

"Too bad you're not cool then. Stinks for you!" Snotlout walked off with two kids that looked exactly alike, but one was a boy and one was a girl. They were both yelling and hitting each other kind of hard. Hiccup flinched at each insult or punch thrown.

He ignored them and quickly stood up, "I am too cool!"

Snotlout stopped and frowned at him, "Nuh-uh!"

"Yeah-huh, my dad's the chief!"

"Well my brother's the dad's chief! Wait…" Snotlout stopped, trying to get it right. "No, my… my dad's… the chief's…brother. Yeah, my chief's the dad's brother. No wait-"

"Your dad's my uncle, I got it." Hiccup offered.

Snotlout suddenly pushed him. "Don't interrupt me when I'm thinking, Hiccup!"

"I'm sorry." Hiccup frowned, not trying to be a bother. Why couldn't his cousin just be nice?

"See, you're always saying sorry." Snotlout poked him in the chest. "You're just no good. I think I'll call you Hiccup the… Hiccup the Useless. Yeah that's a good name."

Hiccup's face turned red and he stamped his foot. "I am not useless!"

"Are too!"

"Am _not_!"

Snotlout pushed him again but this time Hiccup tripped on the bottom stone stair and fell backward. He landed with another "oof!", making Snotlout and the two blonde kids laugh at him.

"Snotlout, go eat some dirt." A new voice broke through the laughter. It was a girl's voice.

Hiccup looked up to see the pretty girl…umm Astrid!...standing behind the group with another kid. He'd met this boy before, but couldn't remember his name… Fishtail? No… Fisheye? Fishhand? Oh names…

Snotlout stopped laughing and turned around to face her. "Eat dirt? Why would I do that?"

"Because you're annoying and would do such a stupid thing. Go eat some dirt." Astrid gave him a hard glare that made the other kids step away.

Snotlout timidly backed up and walked down the path. "Fine, I just will if you think it's so easy. I'll show you. I'll eat dirt for the rest of my life if that's the way you feel. Be that way. I'm gone. Hear me? I'm g-"

"Yes, I heard you. Go." Astrid interrupted calmly.

Snotlout huffed and stomped away, grumbling about dirt and snooty girls. Astrid watched him go for a minute and then slowly walked up to Hiccup. He shrunk back against the stairway, afraid of what she might tell him.

Would she call him small and useless too? Or push him to the ground? Or-

A hand held out in front of him. He looked up at her in shock to see her face blank, but her eyes…caring? He smiled a little and took her hand, letting her pull him to his feet.

"Thanks…" he smiled timidly, wiping his hands on his tunic.

Astrid nodded and turned away to leave. Hiccup watched her go, unsure if he should say anything else. The Fish boy and the two matching kids turned and went with her, all talking about finding Snotlout to see if he was eating dirt.

He watched them go, leaving him on the front steps of the Great Hall. One would think that he was sad, on the verge of tears for loneliness. But he wasn't. He smiled at Astrid's retreating form and thought, "Someday we'll be great friends."

Stoick and Val watched from the top of the stairs. Stoick wondered if his son was crying down there, but Val didn't seem to make a move; she always knew when he was upset. He looked over at her smiling face and shook his head. "What're you thinkin'?"

Valhalarama directed her smile to him and her green eyes sparkled. "Someday he's going to marry her. Just you wait and see."


End file.
